Whether you own a cat, kitten, or multi-pet family, you might have witnessed or heard your cat moving and sleeping at night in a strange place. So, are cats really nocturnal? Not necessarily, although many cat owners are quick to confuse cats’ sleep cycles with those of birds.
Recent research from Britain and the United States has concluded that cats are indeed seasonal animals, only in a very different way. Although most domestic cats are somewhat active during the day, they are also nocturnal at times. In fact, cats’ most frequent behavior seems to be related to their natural seasonal tendencies. The research, conducted by British scientists, concluded that domestic cats have an innate ability to detect the day’s sun and heat, as well as the movement of other wild animals, and they follow these activities.
Sleep Of A Domestic Cat
The research also found that domestic cats sleep better at sunrise and sunset than at any other time. This means that during the daytime, when they are most active, cats are also nocturnal. In addition, the behavior was associated with the cats’ natural waking hours, which are almost always late after dusk. The study suggests that cats use the sun or heat as cues for when it is time to wake up and begin sleeping.
But why do cats sleep during the day? Although most people think that cats are simply short-termorers, the researchers think that this is not necessarily the case. They think that cats may be seeking some sort of “calm” in order to prepare them for a long night of hunting. The other possibility is that cats are seeking out their own territory, such as a new litter of kittens. The more studies that are done, the more we will learn about the nature of the relationship between humans and cats.
Sleep Cycle
The fact that cats are nocturnal is particularly interesting because it supports theories about the sleep cycle. Most mammals, including humans, have a seasonal rhythm of growth and reproduction. The reason for the lack of a daily rhythm in humans is primarily due to the fact that most of us live jobs outside of the daylight hours. At the same time, most of us sleep during the same time on the weekend as well.
Therefore, most people do not realize that most mammals, including humans, are diurnal animals. They are active during the day and inactive at night. Diurnal animals include most reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and insects. The term “diet” refers to the daily schedule of food intake and activity.
Highly Social Creatures
As mentioned earlier, most cats are nocturnal and most felines sleep during the same time on the weekends as well. The question many people have is why cats behave like they do. Primarily, the explanation is that cats are highly social creatures that must interact frequently with a variety of different individuals.
In essence, this means that they are always trying to establish relationships with other felines, as well as members of the human community. This may cause the felines to wake up when they are not actually looking at anything or when they are sleeping but are observing others sleeping.
Final Verdict
Another common question is why does a cat wake up at all? If a cat is an animal that stays asleep at night without moving, then it would appear that they do not need any reason to wake up at all. However, this is not so, as felines are active animals. In essence, cats wake up when they feel that it is time to move. Thus, when there are multiple cats in a household, each cat would have different sleeping hours, depending upon their individual activities.
